躊躇

Reduplication with the original form of *du da.

Cognate with 躑躅 (OC *deɡ doɡ), 踟躕 (OC *de do), 彳亍 (OC *tʰeɡ toɡs/tʰoɡ), all meaning "walking slowly or with difficulty > hesitant".

躊躇

1. to walk back and forth
2. to hesitate; to pause

   聽完了我的話，老師躊躇了一會兒，才發表他的意見。 [MSC, trad.]
   听完了我的话，老师踌躇了一会儿，才发表他的意见。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tīng wán le wǒ de huà, lǎoshī chóuchú le yīhuìr, cái fābiǎo tā de yìjiàn. [Pinyin]

   After hearing me out, my teacher hesitated for a moment before stating his opinion.

   • 耶穌若來，你準備好沒？不通躊躇，著掠住機會！ [Hokkien, trad.]
     耶稣若来，你准备好没？不通踌躇，着掠住机会！ [Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 生命弦 (LifeStrings), 耶稣欲搁来

     Ia-so͘ nā lâi, lí chún-pī hó bōe? M̄-thang tiû-tû, tio̍h lia̍h tiâu ki-hōe! [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     If Jesus comes, are you ready yet? Don't hesitate! Hold onto the opportunity!

• (to walk back and forth):

• (to hesitate):

躊躇

1. (literary) smug; complacent; self-satisfied

• 志得意滿／志得意满 (zhìdéyìmǎn)

• “躊躇”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

From Middle Chinese 躊躇 (MC drjuw drjo).

• (Tokyo) ちゅうちょ [chúꜜùchò] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [t͡ɕɨːt͡ɕo̞]

躊(ちゅう)躇(ちょ) • (chūcho) ^{←ちうちょ (tiutyo)?}

1. hesitation, indecision, wavering

• 躊躇(ためら)い (tamerai)
• 遅疑(ちぎ) (chigi)
• 逡巡(しゅんじゅん) (shunjun)
• 猶(ゆう)予(よ) (yūyo)

躊(ちゅう)躇(ちょ)する • (chūcho suru) ^{←ちうちょ (tiutyo)?}suru (stem 躊(ちゅう)躇(ちょ)し (chūcho shi), past 躊(ちゅう)躇(ちょ)した (chūcho shita))

1. to hesitate, to be undecided, to waver
   • 2011, Barack Obama, 中東と北アフリカに関するバラク・オバマの演説, translation of "Remarks by the President on the Middle East and North Africa":

     躊躇(ちゅうちょ)する訳(わけ)にはゆかないのである

     chūcho suru wake ni wa yukanai no de aru

     we cannot hesitate

• ぐずぐず (guzuguzu)
• 躊躇(ためら)う (tamerau)
• 遅疑(ちぎ) (chigi)
• 逡巡(しゅんじゅん) (shunjun)
• 猶(ゆう)予(よ) (yūyo)

• Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

躊躇 • (jujeo) (hangeul 주저)

1. hanja form^? of 주저 (“hesitation”)